Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole
No fattening cream, cheese, or mayonnaise in this lusciously creamy Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole. And you’ll never miss it! This Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole is a deliciously satisfying comfort food that is also good for you!
Yes, this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole is a vegan dish, but that didn’t stop our meat-loving friends from asking for seconds!
Healthy brown rice and good-for-you broccoli get smothered in a luscious (vegan) cheese sauce and baked to savory perfection to give you this deliciously creamy and wonderfully satisfying comfort food that is also good for you!
Loved by all and easy to make ahead of time, this casserole is the perfect crowd-pleasing dish. (But your family may like it so much, they might not let you share it!)
Why this Broccoli Rice Casserole is Healthy
Full of Fiber
Fiber reduces risk of diabetes and helps with weight loss. And this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole makes it easy to meet your fiber goals for the day!
Cancer-Fighter
Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a natural plant chemical that stimulates the body to produce enzymes that fight cancer.
Great Source of Vitamin K
One serving of broccoli gives you a dose of vitamin K – an important nutrient that the body needs for wound healing and blood clotting.
Strong Bones
The calcium and vitamin K in broccoli work together to help keep your bones strong and healthy.
Quick and Easy Healthy Dish
I will often cook a pot of brown rice at the beginning of the week and use it for delicious meals throughout the week. If you have cooked rice on hand, you can whip up this vegan and gluten-free Broccoli Rice Casserole in a jiffy!
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced broccoli - (approx. 2 small/medium broccoli crowns)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup peeled and sliced raw carrots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon roasted tahini
- 1 2/3 cup water – divided
- 3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut broccoli into small bite-size pieces. Place in a large sauce pan and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. (Or steam in a steamer pan.)
- When broccoli is done, uncover, remove from heat, and drain any excess liquid.
- Meanwhile, place cashews, sliced carrot, granulated onion, granulated garlic, salt, lemon juice, tahini, and 2/3 cup of water in blender. Blend until very smooth. Add remaining 1 cup of water and blend.
- Add cooked rice to steamed and drained broccoli and gently mix.
- Pour blender mixture evenly over broccoli and rice. Stir to combine. Spoon mixture into lightly oiled 2 1/2-quart casserole dish or 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish.
- Bake uncovered at 375°F for 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
>> One quick request: if you like this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. Ratings help more people find these healthy recipes!
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This is an excellent side dish to pair up with the rest of your meal. Or, you can eat the whole thing before the rest of the family gets home, and make another batch for them to share. It’s that good!
So happy you like it!
Thank you for sharing. My husband has had a hip fracture and he needs to increase his calcium intake. This recipe will be very useful.
You’re welcome, Janene. I hope you like it!
Thought you may also be interested in this Broccoli Bowl. It offers an abundance of essential nutrients for bone building.
Great recipe.
Thank you. So happy you liked it!
Made it again! We love it. It’s also great as a quick left-over.
I have a brown rice hater in my house and he loved this! The creamy cheesy sauce was perfect.
Thank you for another great recipe, Jennifer!
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you for your comment, Alina 🙂
Jennifer, I just made this broccoli rice dish and it is soooooo good. I didn’t have any tahini, so I added a little nutritional yeast flakes in its place. I’m looking for more whole food recipes and the photo looked so good. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, the ingredients seemed so simple, but it was great. Most of the vegan cheese sauces I make have pimentos or red bell pepper and it’s just not my favorite flavor when it’s come to a cheesy flavor. But this one made with carrots was milder and I thought tasted and looked more like cheese sauce. I also added some crushed crackers on the top just to make it look more appealing to my picky family. It’s a hit! Thank you for sharing this yummy guilt-free recipe!
Thank you so much, Beth, for such a wonderful review. I’m so happy to hear that you liked the Broccoli Rice Casserole! I don’t really like the pimento cheese sauce either, so I was happy to discover how good this option tastes.
Thanks again!
Forgot to leave a rating. Definitely a 5 star for being healthy and delicious!
Aw, thank you for taking the time to rate it 🙂 🙂 🙂